dsa
THE Chinese in China and overseas will take a few moments to gaze at the full moon tomorrow night, when the moon is at the year’s brightest during the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival under the lunar calendar. Who but a farmer such as Henry Lim Bon Liong, who was recently short of being knighted by President Duterte with the Order of Lakandula for exceptional contributions to society, would ask hardboiled journalists to do such a whimsical thing?
Whimsical? Just think what magic the night would lack without a moon. If an abundant harvest is the season for thanksgiving, the “hybrid rice king” has turned more than 1,500 farmers into millionaires by planting seeds that double the yield in half the time. Not one to talk about his achievements, Henry preferred to point out the hearty harvest from the “charismatic” President’s latest visit to China when he sat down with Samahang Plaridel for their Kapihan sa Manila Hotel. Henry, president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, was on each of all five presidential trips and makes no bones about the keen and candid interest shown by the Chinese in investing in this country.
This time around, he couldn’t wait to show the goods. 1) China is now the largest importer of our bananas, at 2 million metric tons, January to June. 2) Cooperation in higher education, science and technology, customs administration, railways. 3) Partnerships in construction and steel. 4) More direct flights between PH and China. 5) To be awarded to a contractor this year, the 600 km Manila-Matnog railway will cut travel time from Sucat to Naga from 14 hours to 4. 6) Kaliwa dam, to be completed in 2022, will add 600 million liters per day to Metro Manila’s water supply.
You’ve read about that direct currency exchange that will allow businessmen to swap their pesos for RMB and vice versa? That was Henry’s idea. As a rice farmer true and through, Henry has a new product, a gluten-free snack called Brown Rice Puffs, or “how to eat brown rice without a plate.” How to help farmers? His reply: “Japan slaps a 300 percent tax on imported rice, South Korea 500 percent, Philippines 35 percent.”
